1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic bowling scoring apparatus for automatically executing the scoring process of a bowling game, a bowling alley management system for automatically executing the management in a bowling alley, and a service information output method for a bowling alley.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventionally common bowling alleys, there is provided an automatic bowling scoring apparatus which comprises means for detecting the number of pins that have been fell down by a bowl, and means for automatically executing score calculation in response to the state of fell-down pins and displaying the result onto a CRT or the like. The provision of this automatic bowling scoring apparatus allows customers to devote themselves to the games, while it contributes to smooth progress of bowling games so that the rate of turnover is improved.
With the conventional automatic bowling scoring apparatus, indeed the bowling games will progress smoothly as a whole so that the rate of turnover of the bowling alley can be expected to improve, but the way of enjoying the bowling game or its enjoyment itself for customers is not so much changed, such that the bowling game has been a game the sportiveness of which is to be enjoyed primarily. However, even for such a game of high sportiveness, there has been a demand for adding new attractions to the existing sportiveness in order to obtain, for example, such pulling power that those weak in the bowling can also be customers.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an automatic bowling scoring apparatus, as well as a bowling alley management system, which can make the bowling game itself more exciting besides the pleasure attributable to the competition of the score of bowling games.
The operations of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 38 and 39, which are their schematic arrangement views.
With the automatic bowling scoring apparatus or with the service information output method of the bowling alley, a service-use medium that has recorded service information offered to the customer in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result is outputted. Upon a strike as one example, or in response to the score at the end of the game as another example, for instance, a receipt for exchange with gifts is printed out as shown in FIG. 38A. Otherwise, a service medium such as medals or balls in a number corresponding to the contents of the service is discharged. Also with the automatic bowling scoring apparatus or with the service information output method for a bowling alley, a service medium which has recorded service information that has been determined by a specified probability during the bowling game and that is to be offered to the customer is outputted. For example, through the steps of generating a specified random number at some timing of the bowling game, such as a bowling of the ball, and determining the service information to be offered to the customer in response to the random number, a service medium is outputted. Also with the automatic bowling scoring apparatus or with the service information output method for a bowling alley, for example, upon a strike or a spare or a coincidence of the score pattern with a predetermined pattern, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result. Also with the automatic bowling scoring apparatus or with the service information output method for a bowling alley, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased at a specified probability, and a service medium that has recorded information on the service offered to the customer in response to the points or the service medium in a number corresponding to the contents of the service in response to the points is outputted.
Further with the automatic bowling""scoring apparatus or with the service. information output method for a bowling alley, another pastime such as slot machine, roulette, and sugoroku (a Japanese variety of Parcheesi) is displayed on a display device in response to the score state, the pin state, or a specified probability, where points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased on condition that the contents of this pastime have come to a predetermined state. Then, information on the service offered to the customer in response to the points obtained in this way is recorded to the service medium. For instance, in response to the points at the end of the game, a receipt for exchange with gifts as an example is printed out as shown in FIG. 38A. Otherwise, a service medium such as medals or balls in a number corresponding to the contents of the service is discharged. The customer is allowed to exchange the gift-exchange use receipt or medals or the like for a gift at the front or the like, by which the customer can receive a gift. This can arouse customers"" passion for gambling so as to enhance the customers excitement for the bowling game.
Also with the automatic bowling scoring apparatus, a plurality of service contents are displayed in a list in response to the points obtained by the bowling game or another pastime accompanying the bowling game, allowing the customer to make a selective operation, where information on the service selected is printed out. For example as shown in FIG. 38B, a plurality of exchangeable gifts are displayed in a list in response to the points, where a gift-exchange use receipt is printed out according to the selection. In this way, the gifts as an aim add to the pleasure of the bowling game so that customers are attracted, while the procedure of exchanging with gifts is partly automatized so that the working burden on the bowling alley side is reduced.
Also with the automatic bowling scoring apparatus, the contents of service for customers are printed out along with the score of the bowling game. For example, at the end of the bowling game, such a score sheet as shown in FIG. 38C is outputted from the console, where the customers carry the score sheet to the front or the like to receive the service of exchange with gifts or the like.
Also with the bowling alley management system, the information on service to be offered to the customer in response to a score counting result or a pin-state detection result, the score counting result, or. the pin-state detection result is transferred to the host unit. Upon a strike. as one example, or in response to the score at the end of the game as another example, for instance, a service medium on which the information on the service to be offered to the customer is printed is outputted as shown in FIG. 38D. Also with the bowling alley management system, information on the service to be offered to the customer, which has been determined with a specified probability during the bowling game, is transferred to the host unit. For example, a specified random number such as a bowling of the ball is generated at some timing of the bowling game, and the service information to be offered to the customer is determined in response to the random number. Also with the bowling alley management system, for example, upon a strike or a spare or a coincidence of the score pattern with a predetermined pattern, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result. Also with the bowling alley management system, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased at specified probabilities on the console. With the bowling alley management system, another pastime such as slot machine, roulette, and sugoroku is displayed on a display device in response to the score state or the pin state or at a specified probability, where points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased on the console on condition that the contents of this pastime have come to a predetermined state. Then, as shown in FIG. 38D, information on the service offered to the customer in response to the points or the points themselves are transferred to the host unit, and received by the host unit, where a service medium on which the information on the service offered to the customer is printed is outputted. The host unit, if provided at the front or the like, allows services such as offering customers gifts to be carried out in response to the contents of the service medium outputted at the front.
Also with the bowling alley management system, as shown in FIG. 38E, a plurality of service contents are displayed in a list in response to the points on the console side, where a selective operation by the customer is read and the information on the selected service is transferred to the host unit. Thus, the customer is enabled to select from among the service contents, while the content of the selection can be grasped on the host unit side.
Further with the bowling alley management system, as shown in FIG. 38F, points transmitted from the console are received by the host unit, where a plurality of service contents responsive to the points are displayed in a list, enabling the operation of selection therefrom to be carried out on the host unit side.
Also with the bowling alley management system, the score of the bowling game is printed on the host unit side, where the contents of the service to be offered to the customer are printed in part of the printout as shown in FIG. 38C. Thus, the contents of the service to be offered to the customers can be recorded and confirmed without printing any special sheet.
Also with the bowling alley management system, information on service to be offered to the customer in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result, or the score counting result is written into a service medium such as a memory card or magnetic card, for example as shown in FIG. 39A. The contents of this service medium are read by a medium content output unit, and displayed or printed. Also with the bowling alley management system, information on the service determined at a specified probability during the bowling game is written into the service medium. Also with the bowling alley management system, for example, upon a strike or a spare or a coincidence of the score pattern with a predetermined pattern, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result on the console. Also with the bowling alley management system, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased at specified probabilities on the console. With the bowling alley management system, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased at specified probabilities. With the bowling alley management system, another pastime such as slot machine, roulette, and sugoroku is displayed on a display device in response to the score state, the pin state, or a specified probability, where points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased on the console on condition that the contents of this pastime have come to a predetermined state. Then, as shown in FIG. 39A, information on the service offered to the customer in response to the points obtained in this way or the points themselves are written into a service medium such as a memory card or magnetic card. The service information or points are read from the service medium by a medium-content output unit, and displayed or printed. The medium-content output unit, if provided at the front, makes it possible that the card is received from the customer and read by the medium-content output unit after the end of the bowling game, so that service is offered.
Further with the bowling alley management system, as shown in FIG. 39B, a plurality of service contents are displayed in a list in response to the points on the console side, and information on service selected by the customer is written into a service medium such as a magnetic card. Thus, the customer is allowed to receive desired service by making the service medium read by a medium-content output unit.
Also with the bowling alley management system, as shown in FIG. 39C, a plurality of service contents are displayed in a list in response to points read from a service medium such as a magnetic card on the medium-content output unit side, and information on service selected is displayed or printed. If the medium content output unit is provided, for example, at the front, the content of the service can be determined through an operation by a front clerk. Otherwise, such an operation is also possible that the medium-content output unit is provided at a location that allows customers to select a service content, so that a gift-exchange use receipt as an example is outputted in response to the selective operation by a customer and exchanged with a gift.
Also with the bowling alley management system, a portion of the points corresponding to the service that has been offered to the customer is subtracted from the service medium such as a card. Thus, it becomes possible to divisionally offer different types of services or the same type of service in several times.
Also with the bowling alley management system, information on service to be offered to the customer in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result, or the score counting result is transferred to the host unit, or with the bowling alley management system, information on service that has been determined at a specified probability during the bowling game is transferred to the host unit, as shown in FIG. 39D. Then, the information or the like is received by the host unit, and the information on the service to be offered to the customer is written into a service medium such as a memory card. Meanwhile, the service information is displayed on the display section or printed on the host unit. Also with the bowling alley management system, for example, upon a strike or a spare or a coincidence of the score pattern with a predetermined pattern, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased in response to the score counting result or the pin-state detection result on the console. Also with the bowling alley management system, points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased at specified probabilities. Also with the bowling alley management system, another pastime such as slot machine, roulette, and sugoroku can be displayed on a display device in response to the score state, the pin state, or a specified probability, where points other than the score of the bowling game are increased or decreased on the console on condition that the contents of this pastime have come to a predetermined state. Then, as shown in FIG. 39D, the points. are transmitted to and received by the host unit, where information on the service offered to the customer or the points are written into a service medium such as a magnetic card. Further, in the host unit, the service information or points are displayed on the display section or printed. For example, upon completion of the bowling game, the information on the service to be offered to the customer or the points themselves are written into the customer""s service medium such as a magnetic card by the host unit provided at the front. Also, when the service medium is read by the host unit, the information on the read service or points are displayed or printed. Thus, service for customers is enabled on the basis of the service medium without providing any card reader/writer or the like on the console side.